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Peru Information

General Info & Travel Tips

General information

Peru is located in the central part of the western coast of South America. It stretches across 1,285,215 square kilometers and has a population of some 23.5 million.

Peru's inhabitants are mostly of Andean stock in the highlands and mixed-blooded "mestizos" on the coast, blended in with a hefty influx of European blood, largely Spanish.

A country doted with a vast and varied geography, Peru features 28 types of climates and 84 of the 103 ecological zones existing on Earth.

Its territory is split into three natural regions running from north to south: the Coast narrow swathe of desert coastline, which is home to Lima and most of Peru's main cities; the Highlands, which feature breath-taking mountain landscapes and picturesque villages; and the exuberant Amazon jungle, teeming with a dizzying variety of animals and plantlife.

Lima , the Peruvian capital, was founded on January 18, 1535, by Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro. Dubbed the "City of Kings", Lima is today a vast metropolis which blends the splendor of its colonial past with the modern era.

Nestling on the banks of the Rimac River and on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Lima is the seat of government and the country's most important institutions.

The 1993 Census showed Lima was home to approximately 7 million people, making it by far the country's largest city, bustling with more business and industrial activity than anywhere else in Peru.

The city of Cusco is located at the central and south-eastern zone of Peru, exactly at the western part of the valley of the Watanay River. The department has an area of 76,225 Km2, and the area of the Province of Cusco amounts to 523 km2. Compared to the Peruvian territory (1'285,215 Km2), Cusco represents the 5,9% of the territory.

Visa Requirements to Enter Peru

It is only required your valid passport and do not require visa the citizens of the following countries:

AMERICA: All the citizens of countries of America. Except Cuba.

EUROPE: All the citizens of countries of the European Union

ASIA:

South Korea

Philippines

Hong Kong

Indonesia

Malaysia

Singapore

Thailand

Taiwan (Taipei)

AFRICA:

South Africa

OCEANIA:

Australia

The citizens of other countries will request Tourist's Visa in the Consulate of Peru in their respective country.

International Driving License

It is valid for 30 days. If you extend your trip in Peru, you should request the authorization for the extension at the "Touring Automóvil Club" (Automotive Touring Club) of Peru. In office hours from 09:00 to 16:45, the office is located at César Vallejo Street No. 699, Lince, in Lima. Telephones +(51 1) 440-3270 and 422-5975. If you travel in your own vehicle, you should bring "Libreta de Paso de Aduana" (Customs Notebook), emitted by the "Touring Automóvil Club" of the origin country. The "Touring Automóvil Club" of Peru can provide you the best guides in the Peruvian Highway

Cusco Information

Cusco comprises three large territory units that can be read following the North-West-South-East orientation of the department. These great territory sections encompass High-Andean zones, jungle areas within the department, and its borders are only fixed by an interpretation of general physiologic and climatic variables, which are useful to understand the great diversity of the Cusco space.

Borders:

To the North, it is bounded by the jungle areas of Junín and Ucayali; to the South, it is bounded by the Southern area of Arequipa and Puno; to the East, it borders on the large Amazonian plain of Madre de Dios; and to the West, it is bounded by the mountains of Apurímac and Ayacucho's jungle. Recently, with the regionalization process carried out in 1988, it constitutes, together with the departments of Madre de Dios and a part of Apurímac, the Inca Region.

Height

Cusco is located at approximately over 3,350 m.a.s.l., and it is considered as one of the highest cities in the world.

Latitude & Lenght:

The city is located at South latitude 13° 30' 45" and at West latitude 71° 58' 33" as of the Greenwich Meridian.

Hour:

The Peruvian hour is set at 5 h after the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and it is similar to the EST (Eastern Standard Time) of the United States.